The most recent report by Partners in Flight paints a bleak picture for bird conservation: 20% of landbird species in North America are on a path towards extinction. A separate report indicates shorebirds are facing an equally dire outlook: Of the nearly 50 species of shorebirds that regularly occur in North America, almost 90% are predicted to experience an increased risk of extinction due to climate-driven threats.

The call to action is now clearer than ever, and a new sense of urgency is required. Working together, we must take bold steps to protect critical habitats and help reverse the precipitous decline of bird populations throughout the United States.

Below are three species here in the Northeast that are declining rapidly and need our help.

Saltmarsh Sparrow

Cool Fact: Saltmarsh sparrows build domed nests that are partially closed at the top – likely to help prevent eggs from washing away even if the nest is partially flooded.

It is perhaps one of the drabbest looking birds in the Northeast, but it’s also one of the most imperiled. Current projections indicate this species will lose more than 90% of its population within 50 years, setting the species on a path towards extinction. Aptly named, the saltmarsh sparrow nests only in low-lying saltmarshes – a habitat that is ground zero for the effects of climate change.

Saltmarsh sparrow nest. Photo by Jeanna Mielcarek/UConn/SHARP

Sea level rise and increased storm surge are flooding nests, leaving the population in freefall and pushing this species to the brink of disaster. The National Wildlife Federation and other organizations are working hard to protect this species by advocating for the removal of hard infrastructure along marsh edges thereby allowing marshes to migrate inland as sea level rises. NWF’s Northeast Regional Center is also leading a massive restoration project in the Great Marsh, a key breeding location for this species in the Northeast.

Bobolink

Bobolinks are a grassland species that nest throughout New England. Hay fields provide prime nesting habitat for this species, but bobolink nests are no match for combine harvesters collecting hay. According to scientists, the decline of this species has been hastened by the intensification of farming practices. Many fields are now being mowed earlier and more frequently than they were in the past. This means bobolinks don’t have enough time to lay their eggs and raise their young before their nest is destroyed.

Haying practices aren’t the only threat to this species. According to some estimates, bobolinks will lose almost 80% of their current summer range due to climate change. As the temperature warms, their habitat may shift north, but there’s no way to be certain the habitat will migrate or the birds will follow. Slowing or stopping climate change is the best way to ensure this species continues nesting in the Northeast.

Red Knot

Cool Fact: Nicknamed the “Moonbird,” a particular red knot that was banded in 1995 is now the oldest known individual of its species. Amazingly, this bird is still alive and making the annual migration from the Arctic breeding grounds to Tierra del Fuego in southern South America. Flying approximately 20,000 miles every year, this red knot has flown the equivalent of a trip to the moon and half way back

Red knots in flight. Photo by Caudio Dias Timm/ Flickr

The red knot is an iconic shorebird species familiar to many in Southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Every spring, tens of thousands of red knots pause their long migration to feast upon horseshoe crab eggs along the Delaware and New Jersey Bay Shore. It’s described as “one of the world’s most magnificent wildlife spectacles – and one of the most imperiled.” It is estimated that nearly 90% of the entire population of North American Red Knots can be present along the Delaware Bay in a single day. Due in part to overharvesting of horseshoe crab eggs in the bay, this species has suffered a staggering decline of 80% over the past ten years. It’s now listed as a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Red knots feeding. Photo by GA Wildlife Resource Division/ Flickr

New Jersey Audubon, NWF’s affiliate organization, is helping lead the charge to protect this species. Scientists at New Jersey Audubon are conducting research projects to better understand how we can protect this species during its migration, and policy experts are advocating for common sense protections to prevent this species from disappearing from North America entirely.

What We Can Accomplish Together

These three species, along with a variety of other wildlife here in the Northeast, face a host of threats, many exacerbated by climate change. There is no one solution to bring all these species back from the teetering brink of collapse. With that understanding, staff in NWF’s Northeast Regional Center work on a wide variety of projects to safeguard America’s wildlife and wild places.

We are working to reduce carbon emissions and develop clean offshore wind energy, educate the next generation of conservationists, restore critical coastal habitats, and make transportation infrastructure more wildlife-friendly. Yet, we recognize that our staff can’t do it all. NWF’s mission is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world.

So we want to hear from you! Please comment below and tell us what you do to help protect wildlife and their habitats!

This time every year, thousands upon thousands of tiny shorebirds depart from their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to begin an 8,000 mile journey — one of the longest migrations of any species in the world. These birds will have spent their summer months nesting in Arctic tundra where they raise their young. The days were long, food was abundant, and they were relatively free from human disturbance. But as fall approaches, the birds must migrate to avoid the brutal winter that blankets the North.

The majority of shorebirds that breed in Alaska and Canada migrate to the beaches of South and Central America. Similar to how humans travel long distances on highways dotted with rest stops for refueling, shorebirds migrate by following their own “highway in the sky.” Biologists use the term “flyway” to describe these discrete paths that birds follow. Here along the East Coast, we have one of the biggest flyways in North America – called the Atlantic Flyway. And just like human highways, the Atlantic Flyway includes numerous rest stops (also called stopover sites) where birds can land to rest and feed. Some of the most important shorebird stopover sites in the Northeast include the Great Marsh and the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts, the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, and the Delaware Bay.

These stopover sites are critical to shorebirds during their migration. Unlike human highways, which seemingly have stops every 15 minutes, there are relatively few stopover sites for birds along the flyway that provide adequate foraging ground and protection from predators. According to experts, the degradation or loss of just one or two stopover sites could have a profound effect on the ability of birds to survive their journey.

Red Knot with Semipalmated Sandpipers. Photo by Taj Schottland/NWF

Unfortunately, studies have shown that some of these stopover sites are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Major threats include sea level rise, increased storm frequency and severity, and the encroachment of invasive species due to a warming climate. To address these issues, the National Wildlife Federation is partnering with its affiliate, New Jersey Audubon, and others to better understand how we can protect these stopover sites and preserve the unique and important habitats for generations to come. (Find out more about this project here.)

Ruddy Turnstones. Photo by Alan Kneidel.

Staff from NWF’s Northeast Regional Center are working hard to protect and restore Massachusetts’ Great Marsh – a vital stopover site for over 67,000 shorebirds. We’ve partnered with Boston University, University of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Audubon, and several other local organizations to restore more than 300 acres of marsh. These efforts will improve overall ecosystem health and, in turn, support shorebird habitat.

The Atlantic Flyway is threatened, as are the thousands of shorebirds that use this highway in the sky. Luckily, efforts are already underway to bolster shorebird populations, improve habitats, and educate and engage the public. However, considering the threats facing birds and their most important stopover sites, there is much more we need to do.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/07/highway-in-the-sky/feed/0Preserving Coastal Migration Habitathttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/05/preserving-coastal-migration-habitat/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/05/preserving-coastal-migration-habitat/#respondTue, 03 May 2016 15:53:03 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=119295Coastal impoundments are critical pieces of habitat for migratory birds along the Atlantic Flyway. Although artificially created and managed by federal, state or local agencies, these areas, such as Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Delaware and Blackwater NWR in Maryland, are some of the most productive and famous hotspots for birding in the United States.

However, ongoing studies conducted by the National Wildlife Federation and its affiliate, New Jersey Audubon show that many of these stopovers along the Atlantic Flyway are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, DE is an example of a coastal impoundment. Photo by USFWS

On Thursday, April 21st, the National Wildlife Federation, together with New Jersey Audubon, gathered nearly twenty federal and state coastal impoundment managers to discuss climate-smart options for preserving these important habitats. The meeting provided a venue for managers to exchange challenges and solutions across state and agency boundaries. Examples were incredibly wide-ranging, from a $38 million dollar project to restore the freshwater impoundments at Prime Hook NWR back to tidal marsh to innovative, low-cost solutions to monitor impoundment health at Deal Island State Wildlife Management Area.

Throughout the one day meeting, it became clear that even though there have been numerous efforts at enhancing, restoring, and assessing impoundments post-Hurricane Sandy, that this project was the only way to connect the full spectrum of federal, state and local impoundments. As wetlands across the eastern United States continue to be lost at an alarming rate, the relative importance of these impoundments to migratory birds will only continue to grow.

The National Wildlife Federation and its partners also worked with the managers to think beyond the scale of their individual impoundments and consider the connections between them at multiple scales. Understanding how the impoundments interact at a landscape and regional scale is critically important. Each impoundment is just one link in a chain of habitat stretching from the Arctic, where migratory birds spend the summers, to South America, where they overwinter.

This project and this meeting are paving the way for impoundment managers across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast to take strategic actions today to ensure that this chain of habitat can bend and not break in future climate scenarios. This will benefit both the hundreds of bird species which utilize this habitat, as well as the millions of people who recreate and enjoy nature in these coastal refuges.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/05/preserving-coastal-migration-habitat/feed/0Painted Bunting Far From Homehttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/painted-bunting-far-from-home/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/painted-bunting-far-from-home/#respondFri, 25 Mar 2016 19:02:51 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=118202A Painted Bunting, one of North America’s most beautiful birds, has been discovered in Pittsfield, Vermont. This species very rarely occurs north of the Carolinas, and according to the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, it’s only been recorded in Vermont a handful of times.

As an avid birder, when I heard about the Painted Bunting, I made a mad dash to Pittsfield, VT where I was able to soak up the beauty of this dazzling bird. It’s estimated that over 200 bird watchers have come to see this bird, including Don Clark who was lucky enough to snap the wonderful photo shown above!

Many delighted bird watchers have wondered why this southern species wandered so far north. Some have asked if climate change and the unseasonably warm winter could have played a role. While the warm weather likely helped the Painted Bunting survive in the normally frigid Vermont outdoors, climate change likely isn’t to blame for this bird wandering off course. Migratory birds travel vast distances, and inevitably a few birds become lost and end up migrating far away from where they intended to go.

Painted Bunting. Photo by Taj Schottland.

It’s true we can’t do anything to stop the occasional bird from getting lost during its long migration. However we can safeguard migratory stepping stones – those critical habitats that tens of thousands of birds rely on to rest and feed during their dangerous and energy consuming migration.

NWF’s Northeast Climate Adaptation and Resilience program is working to protect one such stepping stone. NWF has partnered with several universities, federal agencies, state agencies, and local nonprofits to restore the Great Marsh of Massachusetts and protect it from dangerous climate-driven threats. It’s one of the most critical stop-over sites for birds in the Northeast.

Helping birds safely complete their migration begins with protecting their most important habitats. NWF and its partners have already restored over 300 acres of habitat in the Great Marsh. The work already completed, and NWF’s continued commitment to restoring this habitat, will ensure birds are able to continue their wondrous migration from the Canadian Arctic to the shores of Central and South America.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/painted-bunting-far-from-home/feed/0Protecting Migratory Birds Requires Focus on Habitathttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/05/protecting-migratory-birds-requires-focus-on-habitat/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/05/protecting-migratory-birds-requires-focus-on-habitat/#commentsFri, 08 May 2015 20:51:58 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=106476This year, a team of educators and biologists came together and decided International Migratory Bird Day should focus on habitat restoration. Habitat loss and degradation are major threats to migratory bird populations. To protect the birds, we must restore the ecosystems they call home. Below you’ll find birds that depend upon unique ecosystems for survival, and how you can help.

Grasslands

The eastern and western meadowlarks are two gorgeous species that lives in open grasslands, meadows and prairies. These native grasslands are disappearing at an alarming rate, causing grassland-dependent wildlife to disappear, too.

Send a message urging the Environmental Protection Agency to protect this critical habitat.

Wetlands

One of the most beautiful duck species, the pintail rely on wetland habitat for raising their young. They’re not the only ones. Migratory birds and a handful of other species depend on clean water and healthy wetlands for survival.

Send a message to your members of Congress, telling them to protect wetlands and to strengthen the Clean Water Rule.

Tropical Forests

We’re losing critical tropical forest and migratory bird habitat at a rapid rate. You can be a forest ally by selecting food and personal care products from companies with zero-deforestation commitments. A list of these companies can be found at www.supply-change.org, and see how they are measuring up at www.forest500.org.

Moose and young in Berlin, New Hampshire. Moose rely on New England’s streams and rivers for water and habitat. Flickr photo by Dave Spier.

This week, the governors of New England states are meeting with leaders of Canada’s Eastern provinces in the mountains of New Hampshire, at the annual New England Governors and Eastern Premiers Conference.

As they make plans and consider policies for the coming years, now is a good time for our leaders to discuss the incredible opportunity to build on progress made throughout the region, keep dirty fuels out and build a clean energy future..

It’s meaningful that the conference, which is being held in Bretton Woods this year, is located only a few towns from the Portland-Montreal Pipe Line’s path through New Hampshire, which transports oil from South Portland, Maine, to Montreal. The pipeline—and its potential use for transporting climate disrupting tar sands oil in the opposite direction for export—is a symbol of the crossroads at which the United States and Canada currently stand. Will we continue to lock ourselves into fossil fuel infrastructure for 50, 70, maybe even 100 more years? Or will we say “No” to the dirtiest fuels and continue the move toward clean energy? Our governors and regional premiers have already shown leadership on this question, and they can use this conference to take the next step.

Recognizing the tar sands threat to the Northeast

Tar sands oil has the potential to pollute New England and Canada’s shared water and air, and to negate the hard work our leaders have done to make the Northeast a leader on addressing climate change. Not only does new infrastructure pose the threat of spills from pipelines, tankers and trains, the fact is that without action to keep tar sands out of our gas tanks, tar sands-derived fuels could make up as much as 18% of our regional fuel supply by 2020 (enough to negate the region’s carbon emissions reductions under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative).

The invasion of tar sands oil poses a huge threat to wildlife and habitat throughout the Northeast. Moose, trout, ducks, and so many other species rely on the clean water of our rivers and streams for drinking water and habitat – scores of which would face the threat of pollution under a tar sands spill. Climate change is already having a devastating impact on New Hampshire’s moose population. And at the source, the tar sands industry is decimating pristine forest in Alberta that our most loved migratory birds need for nesting.

Keeping Tar Sands Out of Our Region

There are several steps our leaders can take together to keep New England and Eastern Canada tar sands free:

Recognize the threat posed to the region by infrastructure proposals that would bring tar sands across our rivers, streams, farms and towns, and reject such proposals. This includes standing in the way of the Energy East pipeline, which would carry up to 1.1 million barrels of tar sands crude per day through Quebec to New Brunswick; and blocking the use of the Portland-Montreal pipeline for tar sands transport. It also means ensuring that any current movement of oil—by pipeline or rail—is only done in the safest possible manner, which is currently not the case. Regional leaders should be pushing Washington to improve safety regulations for oil transport.

Take steps to keep high-carbon fuels out of the region’s fuel mix, so we know we aren’t putting tar sands-derived fuel in our gas tanks even while we work to stop it from coming through our pipelines. This piece is already in motion—in 2009, 11 governors stated their commitments to keeping tar sands out of our tanks, and this year both Gov. Peter Shumlin of Vermont and Gov. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire have indicated a willingness to act. Now it’s time to expand this fight to bigger states in the region, especially Massachusetts, whose choices have enormous power to influence the direction of New England’s fuel mix.

Build on efforts in New Hampshire to make sure the state is prepared to respond in case of a spill from existing infrastructure, by making sure communities have funding and tools needed to clean up and protect themselves.

Momentum has been building to keep tar sands out of New England, from a Jurisdictional Opinion in 2013 stating that any proposal to use the Portland-Montreal Pipe Line would be subject to Act 250 review in Vermont, to massive public engagement leading to South Portland taking steps to establish an ordinance that would protect the city from tar sands. However, these local fights must be considered in tandem with fights across the country, such as the battle to stop the controversial Keystone XL pipeline; taken together, they highlight the need for a federal policy that makes President Obama’s climate test the norm, and ensures that major infrastructure choices are only made if they are consistent with efforts to cut carbon pollution.

The researcher team includes Dr. Jeffrey Short, a veteran of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who has studied the Exxon Valdez oil spill extensively. That spill is thought to have killed around 300,000 sea birds.

A Coastal Scavenger Hunt

In the months after the Gulf disaster roughly 2,000 visibly oiled sea birds were found. The Gulf Coast is more than 4,000 miles long, and factors such as decomposition, scavenging sharks, wind and currents, and the controlled burns of oil all ensured that many oil-slicked bodies were lost or swept out to sea before they could be counted. For their first model, the team calculated losses based off of these and other factors such as the speed a bird’s carcass might drift.

The second model relies on what we know of the pre-spill population of sea birds. Population size, landing behaviors, and the length of time spent in potentially oiled water were all considered by Dr. Short and his colleagues. The possibility of fatal damage was then multiplied, giving a grim figure that matched up with the first model’s predictions.

Conservative Estimate

While these estimates are staggering, ornithologist Melanie Driscoll of the Audubon Society said “This is a really big number, and it’s still too small.”

Driscoll and others fear the real tally is much higher because the study did not include birds that live in the more than 2,000 miles of marshes affected by the spill or at birds that would have been found further away from the coast. Added together and the science indicates the final tally of dead birds could easily top a million.

A Telling Absence

BP has already criticized this figure and attacked the credibility of the researchers. Yet some birds’ absences from their usual habitats are telling. Dr. Short and his team’s modeling estimates that populations of the laughing gull in the northern gulf would have declined by almost 40%. The Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count—a volunteer population count of birds nationwide— documents a similar decline in laughing gull populations.

It would be far better if BP spent more of its time and energy investing in habitat restoration than claiming the job was finished, or contesting any report that fails to support its narrative.

Speak up for Gulf Wildlife

Four years after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, wildlife in the Gulf are still suffering.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/05/study-estimates-around-800000-birds-killed-during-bp-oil-spill/feed/1International Migratory Bird Day is Around the Corner!http://blog.nwf.org/2014/04/international-migratory-bird-day-is-around-the-corner/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/04/international-migratory-bird-day-is-around-the-corner/#commentsTue, 29 Apr 2014 15:15:20 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=94286This May, celebrate International Migratory Bird Day! On May 10th, International Migratory Bird Day will aim to share the many ways that migratory birds matter to us and the earth.

Blue-winged teal and other migrants feed in recently flooded field in Louisiana. Photo by John Pitre, NRCS.

Each season, migratory birds travel long distances between breeding and non-breeding sites. Beyond providing recreational fun for bird lovers and wildlife gardeners, birds help to vegetate areas by dispersing seeds and pollinating flowering plants, trees and shrubs. The goal of International Migratory Bird Day is to motivate people of all ages and backgrounds to simply get outside and learn about native birds and what you can do to help protect them.

Attracting Birds to Your Yard

It’s important to protect tropical forests where migratory birds overwinter, as well as the important breeding grounds in Canada’s boreal forest, but there are things that you can do closer to home to help migratory birds, whether they’re species that are just passing through or those that end their migration in your neighborhood.

When trying to attract birds to your garden at home, there are a variety of measures you can take. Consider the different things birds need to survive: food, water, cover, and a safe place to construct a nest.

Begin with water – a simple birdbath is a great place to start. Keep the birdbath about 10 feet away from dense shrub or other areas that may attract predators to keep the birds safe from harm. Also make sure to change the water every 2-3 days in the summer and use a heater in the winter.

Broad-tailed hummingbird feeding on zinnia. Photo by Bruce Gill.

To provide food sources to birds, install native plants to offer seeds, berries, nuts, and nectar. Think about recreating the plant ecosystem of your local area. This will also attract insects, a primary source of protein for birds. Bird feeders also provide supplemental food during times of scarcity.

Birds will build nests out of almost anything they can find. Building a brush pile in a corner of your yard can provide materials for birds to make nests. Keeping dead trees around your garden can offer cavity-dwelling places for birds to raise young. You can also put out nesting boxes, but make sure they have ventilation holes at the top and drainage holes near the bottom.

Once you’ve provided, food, water, cover, and a safe place for birds to raise their young, you’ll be ready to certify your wildlife garden in time for International Migratory Bird Day. To find International Migratory Bird Day happenings in your area, check out the IMBD Events Map. And just because it’s being celebrated on May 10 doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate birds and the outdoors every day!

Celebrate Garden for Wildlife Month by becoming a Wildlife Gardener with National Wildlife Federation. It’s free and you’ll get great wildlife gardening tips and learn how to certify your garden as an official habitat.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/04/international-migratory-bird-day-is-around-the-corner/feed/2Biologists Study Impact of BP Oil Disaster On Loonshttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/04/biologists-study-impact-of-bp-oil-disaster-on-loons/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/04/biologists-study-impact-of-bp-oil-disaster-on-loons/#respondTue, 15 Apr 2014 16:32:21 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=94365Just over a year ago, I held a “charismatic megavertebrate” on my lap. As a participant on a research project in the Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of Louisiana, I had tucked the common loon’s head under my left arm, secured its feet with my right hand, and held its body gently but firmly against mine as the boat we rode on raced back to shore. There, in an improvised lab under a bar on stilts, biologist Jim Paruk, who had just netted the bird, would quickly weigh, measure, band and assess the loon’s health before releasing it.

Like tigers, dolphins and bald eagles, common loons are considered charismatic megavertabrates because they are large, at least for birds, and tend to be well liked by the general public. On their breeding grounds in the far north—where the birds’ haunting calls have come to symbolize summertime in the wilderness—common loons also “may be the best-studied birds in North America,” says Paruk, senior scientist at the Maine-based Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI). He and his BRI colleagues alone have banded more than 4,800 loons in 22 states and seven Canadian provinces.

Winter Loon Mysteries

In winter, common loons molt to a dull plumage and vocalize very little. The bird on the left has been banded by researchers. Photo by Darwin Long.

Yet in the Gulf of Mexico and other places loons spend the nonbreeding season, very little is known about the birds’ behavior and ecology during winter. Not only do loons molt to a dull plumage in the colder months, they vocalize little, making it difficult for scientists to study them. Even local fishermen can be surprised to learn there are loons are in the Gulf. Point out one of the birds bobbing offshore and you’re likely to be told that it’s a cormorant.

Paruk and his colleagues are trying to uncover the secrets of winter loon biology—at least for birds that winter in and around Louisiana’s Barataria Bay. For the past four years, with funding from the Earthwatch Institute, Snow Family Foundation and BRI, the researchers have been making new discoveries about winter loons’ feeding, migration and other behaviors.

Sadly, their work also is beginning to suggest that loons may have been harmed more by the BP oil disaster than scientists previously realized. Because Barataria Bay was hit hard by the spill, Paruk’s teams have been taking blood samples from the birds they capture, looking specifically for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. The class of hydrocarbons most toxic to wildlife, PAHs cause a range of health problems, including anemia, liver damage, cancer and immunosuppression.

Hydrocarbon Spike

During the first two years of the study, the number of loons with PAHs in their blood increased between 2011 and 2012, as did concentrations of the contaminants. Overall PAH levels remained low, however. But in 2013, reports Paruk in a recent article in National Wildlife,” we detected a large spike in PAHs and a completely different oil signature—heavy PAHs that are more toxic to wildlife.”

His findings are troubling. That loons had significantly more PAHs in their blood three years after the spill than immediately following it suggests that hydrocarbons may be making their way up the food chain, Paruk says. And unlike his first two years’ results, he adds, “the concentrations we found in 2013 may be high enough to cause physical harm.”

Last month, Paruk wrapped up his fourth field season in the Gulf. In addition to measuring PAH levels, the researchers this year are also analyzing blood for signs of Corexit, the chemical dispersant used to break up the spilled oil. (In Minnesota, scientists have found evidence of Corexit in white pelicans that were in the Gulf during the spill.) In addition, an immunologist will study the samples to see if the birds’ immune systems are damaged.

Where Are the Loons?

Riding in a small rubber raft, Gary Lackie captured this common loon off the coast of Alaska. Photo donated by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Gary Lackie.

While results of those analyses will not be available for several months, Paruk says he and his colleagues already have noticed something different—and potentially alarming—this year. “We encountered far fewer loons in the study area than in the previous three years,” he says. “There could be many reasons, some having nothing to do with the oil spill,” Paruk adds. Lacking long-term data on loon numbers in the Gulf, there may be natural population fluctuations that scientists are unaware of, for example.

Another possibility, however, is that loons affected by the oil spill may be producing fewer chicks on their northern breeding grounds, so fewer juveniles are showing up during winter. Next summer, Paruk will launch a new project in Canada to assess the status of breeding loons that winter off the Louisiana coast. If he finds signs of trouble, it will not be too surprising. “After all,” Paruk says, “we are still seeing impacts on Alaskan wildlife more than 20 years after the Exxon Valdez.”

A packed senate hearing room with nurses, activists and others gathered to hear about the KXL pipeline. Photo via Collin Rees of SustainUS

Today, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a long-anticipated hearing on the Keystone XL Pipeline. This hearing aimed to explore whether the pipeline is in our national interest and included panelists such as esteemed climate scientist, Dr. James Hansen, and Sierra Club Executive Director, Michael Brune. Also testifying were Karen Harbert, president of the Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, and General USMCJames L. Jones.

Opponents of the proposed pipeline argued that allowing Keystone to pass through the U.S. would be assuming a large amount of risk, with little pay off. The majority of this dirty tar sands oil would be exported, but not before passing through America’s heartland. Denying this pipeline would send a clear message that the U.S. does not want dirty tar sands oil passing through our communities. Here are some of the best quotes from today’s hearing!

Top 10 quotes from the Keystone XL hearing:

1. “We’re screwing our children, grandchildren, all future generations if we think we can use those unconventional fossil fuels.”– Dr. James Hansen

Proponents of the Keystone pipeline like to argue that this tar sands oil will be developed regardless. But the truth is that Canada has been exploring other options and is hitting significant opposition. For example, native tribes in western Canada have made it clear that they will not allow a pipeline through their native lands.

3. “The choice is not whether to accepted increased risk by rail or pipeline, but whether to take the oil out of the ground”– Michael Brune

Senator Boxer gave a strong testimony, citing the vast health impacts as one of the primary reasons to reject the pipeline. Accompanied by nurses from across the U.S., she talked about the health impacts of living near refineries. Often these places will have much higher rates of cancers and asthma, especially in children.

6. “If you are in support of the environment, you are in support of the pipeline.”– Chamber of Commerce’s Karen Harbert

Really?? I think the large majority of environmentalists are going to have to disagree with Ms. Harbert on that point.

7. To which Senator Barbara Boxer responded: “When you said ‘If you are an environmentalist you are in support of this pipeline’, let me just say that is ludicrous on its face, please don’t speak for me, and please don’t speak for lots of folks who don’t see it that way.”

Sandhill cranes are one of the many species that are impacted by tar sands development. Photo by Myrna Erler Bradshaw, NWF photo contest winner

9. “The right strategy is to make it cleaner tomorrow than today. To grow the pieces [of our energy structure] that are not carbon and to take the pieces that are heavy carbon and reduce them in size and carbon intensity”– Senator Tim Kaine

Tar sands is one of the most carbon intensive fuel sources. As we try to limit our overall carbon impact, it is important that we focus on reducing the most carbon intensive fuel sources.

10. “We’re all on the same boat. We will either sink together or find a way to sail together”– Dr. James Hansen

What KXL means for wildlife

We are all in the same boat, no matter your party (or your species!) you will be affected by climate change and dirty fuels projects. Keystone XL pipeline will cut through America’s agricultural heartland, the Missouri, Platte, and Niobrara Rivers, the Ogallala aquifer, habitat for sage grouse and sandhill cranes, walleye fisheries and much more. Migratory birds are especially at risk as many of their migration paths follow the proposed Keystone pipeline route. Habitat disruption in these areas would negatively impact these migrating species as well as the communities in the surrounding areas.